Note: Soldier Blue takes place between the events of Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crash. This translation is that of the print story, not the drama CD.

1

The mysterious flowers from an anonymous person that arrived for Sylia. And who is this other Sylia that has arrived with the mysterious fragrance and the various hallucinations?

2

Tokyo was shaking. It was subjected to off season rain and fearfully loud thunder. In the depth of the floating sensory city1 "Tokyo" where there was a slippage of time, there was "something" new that began to slip2. But nobody noticed. For those who lost their normal human intellect, there was no way they would notice the ill changes occurring in their city. There was one person, the only one, that sensed this slippage that was occurring. "Sylia Stingray."

She was entrusted with the "key"3 to liberate4 this city and handed a task synonymous to opening a heavy door... The something that was to lure Sylia to the fateful "door" appeared in the depth of her memory as if it was summoned by the acrid rain and the roaring thunder. And this something, in its own fashion5, left a bundle of flower in front of the gate. Do the flowers symbolize love...? Or.....

The thunder roared from faraway. Whiteness like milk tea hung from the sky as the rain continued to poor.

"Oh well, so much for today's sales!"

As she tapped her keyboard, Sylia voiced her thoughts purposely. She wanted the eerie air surrounding her to go away. The rain and the thunder that she didn't notice before began to make her nervous. But the tense situation naturally eased.

"Good job!" For some reason, today Sylia envied Macky's innocence and felt happy in her heart. The boy who lost his parents at an early age and was always crying is now working, enthusiastically helping at his sister's lingerie shop.

"And here are some flowers addressed to you sister."

"Wow, they're wonderful."

"Hehehe! So you know right away who they are from even though they were sent anonymously? Huh?!"

"What are you talking about! There is no one like that in my life!" Sylia now realized that she was more or less appalled by her brother's so-called innocence. At the same time, the fact that the flowers were sent anonymously suspiciously lingered in her mind.

"'To my beloved6 Sylia Stingray. Reishi'7...Reishi?! I wonder if Reishi is the name of this flower?"

"I've never seen a flower like that before. I wonder if it was made just for you sis."

"Silly....But it really is a pretty flower."

As she commended the beauty of the flowers, Sylia took a deep sniff of their fragrance. The slightly precarious and sweet scent spread through Sylia's body.

"Oh.... It has a very nostalgic fragrance. First time...it's the first time I've seen this flower but it's really odd. It feels very nostalgic..."

Like some magic, the flower's fragrance penetrated through Sylia's senses8 and began to create a profound, heavy darkness in her mind.

And it is this darkness that will eventually lure Sylia.

"Sylia...Sylia..." Someone called Sylia from the darkness.

"Wh, who is it?! That voice...father!"

"Come here Sylia. I want to see you..."

"You too mother!! I want to see you too! But...I can't go any further." The memories that Sylia had hid in the depth of her heart burst out at once.

But that ripple would gradually amplify the dark shade within Sylia's heart...

3

A somewhat mysterious gift...It's the first time I've seen this flower, yet it evokes a very nostalgic feeling....

Inside cover illustration: TONY TAKEZAKI
cover design: NORIYUKI ZINGU

The pollen from the flower sent by an unknown individual stimulated a certain portion of Sylia's sensory nerve, created confusions in her memories, and evoked her dark side --- a dormant hideous side of her she innately possesses as a human being, as a woman --- to appear and to clash with her true character to destroy it.

"...I don't know who's responsible for this but you sure prepared a scrupulous prank..."

Sylia felt a subtle anger inside for describing such an ingenious undertaking simply as a "prank." Sylia was resolved to fight on her own this time. To fight against the mastermind of this mystery...and against herself.

Under Sylia's father Stingray's villa, a part of his research which he conducted before his death remained escaping Mason's attempt to destroy it.

The heavy door that has remained sealed has opened and Sylia stood in the cool air. She chose this place as the battle ground to fight against herself.

"Father, allow me to use the Hyper Recall Machine, one of many invaluable items you have left."

Sylia faced the machine and prayed. Then, she reclined on the machine's seat, locked the hatch, and pressed the switch.

"...I'll trace my memories with this machine and expel the demon living within. If I fail, I'll never be able to return to this world again...Father, mother, I really want to be by your side!...But I can't afford to live by my dreams9. I need to continue living for the sake of both of you. Please protect10 me!"

As Sylia prayed, the Recall Machine began to buzz.

Sylia was inside the darkness within herself.

"Reishi! You're here right?! Come out! I'm here!!"

Sylia's voice echoed back to her as Reishi's voice. "Sylia...It's me, the other me...quite courageous of you to come here.

"I'll make sure you'll never be able to speak like that again!!"

Reishi became enraged by Sylia's provocation. "What?! I believe you have angered me!!"

That voice transformed into a bolt of lightning and as it struck right by Sylia's foot, the energy rod turned into a sword.

"Grab the sword! Sylia!!"

"Fine!"

Sylia wielded the sword and spoke. "Reishi, why don't you stop hiding and show yourself?"

Then the dark space11 transformed into a reflective space12 and Sylia's reflections appeared! Then the images converged into one and suddenly lunged toward Sylia.

"Sylia, that beautiful face, voice, I'm going to slash them into pieces!!"

"You are me...No, you're the pure evil side within me! But...I have no interest in a phoney. Show yourself!" Sylia stabbed Reishi without hesitation.

"Arghhh! H..how dare you..."

The final scream shined and was reflected by the mirror.

"I won't forgive you for toying with my past! Who are you anyway? What is your intention in committing this act?!"

As if they were responding to Sylia's voice, the bright lights of Reishi's scream began to converge and gradually turned into a male voice!

"...Sylia...Sylia Stingray..."

Sylia became aghast when she heard the voice from behind the mirror. It was the voice of the once vanquished...

"It's an honor to meet again...All prior actions were meant to be a form of greeting but it appears that you didn't appreciate them...."

"Greeting...you say?!"

After considering this wicked tactic used, Sylia realized the identity of this vile man.

"Indeed, we are going to create a new world! Now, why not join us? Let's create a new world together!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'll never side with you!!"

"I see...You'll regret later Sylia...For now I bid you farewell..."

As the man's voice faded, the ground quaked and the mirror in space began to fall apart.

"No! The mirrors are breaking apart. Where's the exit?!"

The diffused reflections from the mirrors surrounded Sylia with a white aura. And she continuously fell into that white darkness17. "This time I won't be able to go back for sure..."

As Sylia's conscious endlessly approached nothingness a voice called her from above and she began regaining her conscious.

"Sister!" "Sylia!"

After noticing the nostalgic voice, her eyelids slowly opened. Then, her pupils focused on two faces. Macky and Linna who followed after Sylia barely stopped the machine's reckless operation.

"Sylia...Don't go anywhere any more!"

The stouthearted Linna hugged Sylia as she cried. Macky's was teary-eyed also.

"I'm ok..." As Sylia murmured her expression looked unusually pure.

Next Page

It had stopped raining.

But Leon's heart was still clouded despite getting an invitation to go cruising from Priss, the one he admired.18 The two were at the shoulder of a highway, a place not befitting for a couple to spend time.

"...Man, I came here again. I'm so dumb. I know it isn't going to amount to anything coming here!...Tonight I brought the drink you love."

As Priss spoke of these words toward seemingly nowhere, she began spilling the whisky.

"Before,20 I thought I was the only one...21 You taught me, the past cynical me, the goodness of motorcycles and rock and roll. Yet, why did you leave me?!!22

As Leon watched Priss' unusual mannerism from the car, a thought raced through his head.

"Wait a minute! This is the place where a strange accident occurred three years ago...that means,..no way!"

Three years ago, a motorcycle gang was attacked by "someone or something" and despite the fact that there were many victims, the case warped into a mystery. The "you" Priss kept mentioning was one of the victims from the accident.

"After you departed I cried often...But now I have acquaintances that are like family and slowly found some reason for living in this city. And..."

"Priss! Could this place be, the past..."

"Yeah. I wanted to say goodbye. Together with you Leon."

"Together with me?!"

"I won't be able to go on while I hang on to the past. This isn't so that I can forget about him but so that I can move forward in life, to passionately live on with you Leon. I wanted to come here and tell him that. I'm sorry Leon..."

"You don't have to apologize..."

At that moment, a motorcycle passed by.

"Yeah...He just told me to "be strong" with a smile and disappeared..."

"Priss....."

Their hearts slowly gradually cleared up.

Next Page

The city was in utter stagnation.

Sylia was wandering amidst the bitterness in the air which encompassed the hair and clothing.

"Where is this place? That's strange. It isn't like I took the wrong road..."

The familiar place felt like a ghost town today.

As she tired from the walking and nearly lost her conscious, she heard foot steps from behind approaching her.

"Oh no!"

When she reflexively began to run, the "hostile" foot steps began to sound faster.

It felt like there would be a face right behind her! The "hostility" behind her came closer.

"Someone! Help!!"

The scream she mustered vainly disappeared into the air. However, as if responding to the echoes from her scream, a red light flashed in front of her.

"Thank God!! It's a patrol car!!"

Usually one wouldn't bother depending on the AD Police patrol car but it felt very dependable at this moment.

"Excuse me!"

Sylia raced toward the patrol car and quickly tapped the windshield on the driver's side.

When the power window opened, a familiar face appeared.

"What are you doing here? All alone in this place...."

The familiar face was that of Leon.

"Officer! It seems like some strange person is following me..."

After Sylia spoke, she realized that she was uncommonly distressed and quickly regained her composure.

"Could it be that person may be carrying a disturbing item like this?"

Sylia's composure collapsed when she saw the pistol Leon wielded.

"W..Why?!"

Sylia couldn't understand Leon's action but she realized something after the gun was placed on her eyebrow; that "he was trying to kill her."

Reishi began stressing the words' endings.28 "The fact that out of us,29 only one needs to exist in this world."

"What did you say?!"

Sylia nearly fainted but Linna and Priss supported her from both sides. "Let her go! Both of you!!"

Linna and Priss didn't budge and had an apathetic smile on their face.

"What's your reason in doing this?!"

Reishi responded as if she were waiting for Sylia's question. "I'm going to put you at ease Sylia. You overly suppressed and confined me behind your good-natured mask. This is my vengeance toward you and a punishment you well deserve. Now, Macky stab Sylia with this knife."

After making a chilly response, Macky pointed the knife at Sylia's chest. "Kyaaaaa!!"31

As her horror and despair reached a critical point and she was at loss with her words, Sylia was surrounded by a bright light.

From the intense pressure, her conscious and body transformed into particles and disappeared. But those particles eventually got together on her bed and Sylia was finally released from her terrible dream within her dream. Sylia woke up to the light of dawn and realized the deception from her dreams.

Next Page

There are times in life when people have to overcome "walls"32 and go on.

For the Knight Sabers, these obstacles challenged them in various ways.

For instance, Priss had to "bid farewell to her dead lover" and at other times two young couple had a smooth33 separation.

Nene and Macky faced each other in the lobby of the new Narita Airport as the main characters of the scene.

Separations at airports inevitably conjure a highly sentimental image but there were no such sentimental signs between them and the mood appeared rather jerky.34

Face to face, the two were silent for a while but eventually Nene lost her patience and opened her mouth.

"You should've told me sooner!"

"Sorry."

Macky must have done a lot of thinking on his own and found a path he should take. To study the continuing progress of the hardsuit's technology, he suddenly decided to study abroad in Germany. Even his own sister Sylia was surprised at first by his sudden decision so there is no surprise to Nene's angered tone.

The two were about the same age and got along and moreover thought fondly about each other. But both of them couldn't express their feelings for each other openly.

After overcoming that wall, she couldn't stop anticipating what will occur next.

"Sylia...Sylia Stingray..."

The voice of that detestable man that Sylia had forgotten until now was stuck in her mind.

"That man...I thought his existence had disappeared from the face of this world but it seems like he has become a phantom wandering this city. And he is slowly approaching us. Again, a new horror is threatening us and this city."

An off-season sea breeze was blowing hard as if to knock down Sylia. But Sylia pulled her head up as if to push back the winds!"

"Whatever happens, we will fight back! We will never be defeated. We will boldly survive to grasp a new world!!"

The sound of the sea symbolized the dawn of a new battle the Knight Sabers were about to face.